This post is compliments of my newest Blogging Effort, Green White House, where OBama's promise of a new Green Economy is graded, discussed and written about. He said in Elkhart Indiana today that Americans need a Living Wage...well, what is a living wage, and once you know what a living wage is, where is Congress in MANDATING IT? Green White House has thrown out some food for thought on this subject, and it is my hope that some of you will add to the discussion in the comments section here or over there.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Defining Living Wage Is Key To a Green Economy
In Saturday's post it was pointed out to Mr, Obama that Green Jobs are not exactly at the top of the pay scale, are not the kind of jobs people are going to want to fill...low pay and few if any benefits are not the model for a paradigm shift in the American Work Force to a Green Economy, which is what is needed to fully address Global Warming. If Obama is going to create 3-4 million GREEN JOBS, shouldn't we first define what a living wage should be?We do not need three to four million poor paying McDonanld's type jobs with poor benefits, we need three to four million jobs that a person can support a family with...where is our Federal Government in their efforts too SAVE OUR ECONOMY, in doing the necessary homework to make sure they are creating the right kind of jobs, rather than simply throwing money at companies and hoping they will do the right thing by Ameriuca's work force.
Doing some thinking on the subject, and based on both adults in the family working full time, I would suggest the following components as part of a living wage:
1. Sick Leave-one day acrued for each month of employment, with a maximum cap of 120 days of accrued sick leave. (These days can be used because the employee is sick, or a member of their family is sick and needs personal care.)
2. Paid Holidays-Christmas, New Year's Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day,Thanksgiving to be combined with four personal holidays for a total of ten days per year.
3. Paid major medical coverage that includes dental, eye care and a reduced prescription plan.
4. Minimum of two weeks paid vacation per year with a guaranteed climb to four weeks paid vacation with five years of seniority with the company.
5. Looking at the various costs incurred by a AVERAGE FAMILY of four including utilities, mortgage and even our taxes at all levels of government, the average family needs to earn $60,000 a year to live a relatively comfortable lifestyle and cover their bases. That comes out to a gross income of $30,000 per year per adult in the family. To make a long storty short, a Minimum Wage on a National Basis of $11.50 per hour could attain this goal of a living wage with a bit of a cushion to spare.
The Federal Government, our elected members of Congress could make this goal a reality passing a Living Wage Bill, a new workers Bill of Rights. The time has come to do right by America's MAjority, the backbone that has built this nation from the ground up, the true creators of all that wealth selfishly held by the UBER RICH.
